Stocks may move to the downside in early trading on Tuesday, giving back ground after moving notably higher over the two previous sessions. The major index futures are currently pointing to a slightly lower open for the markets, with the S&P 500 futures down by 0.1 percent.
The futures edged lower following the release of a report from the Commerce Department showing retail sales in the U.S. were unexpectedly flat in the month of December.
The report said retail sales came in virtually unchanged in December after climbing by 0.6 percent in November. Economists had expected retail sales to rise by 0.4 percent.
Excluding a slight dip in sales by motor vehicle and parts dealers, retail sales were still virtually unchanged in December after increasing by 0.4 percent in November. Ex-auto sales were expected to grow by 0.3 percent.
A separate report released by the Labor Department showed import prices in the U.S. crept up in line with estimates in the month of December.
The Labor Department said import prices inched up by 0.1 percent in December, in line with expectations.
While the report also said export prices rose by 0.3 percent in December, economists had expected export prices to tick up by 0.1 percent.
Stocks moved mostly higher over the course of the trading day on Monday, extending the strong upward move seen during last Friday’s session. While the Dow crept up to a new record closing high, the tech-heavy Nasdaq showed a more notable move to the upside.
The major averages all finished the day in positive territory. The Dow crept up 20.20 points or less than a tenth of a percent to 50,135.87, the Nasdaq jumped 207.46 points or 0.9 percent to 23,238.67 and the S&P 500 climbed 32.52 points or 0.5 percent to 6,964.82.
In overseas trading, stock markets across the Asia-Pacific region moved mostly higher during trading on Tuesday. Japan’s Nikkei 225 Index surged by 2.3 percent, while Hong Kong’s Hang Seng Index advanced by 0.6 percent.
Meanwhile, the major European markets are turning in a mixed performance on the day. While the French CAC 40 Index is up by 0.1 percent, the German DAX Index is down by 0.1 percent and the U.K.’s FTSE 100 Index is down by 0.4 percent.
In commodities trading, crude oil futures are rising $0.21 to $64.57 a barrel after jumping $0.81 to $64.36 a barrel on Monday. Meanwhile, after surging $99.60 to $5,079.40 an ounce in the previous session, gold futures are slipping $4.80 to $5,074.60 an ounce.
On the currency front, the U.S. dollar is trading at 154.84 yen compared to the 155.86 yen it fetched at the close of New York trading on Monday. Against the euro, the dollar is trading at $1.1901compared to yesterday’s $1.1913.
Business News
Futures Pointing To Slightly Lower Open On Wall Street
2026-02-10 13:57:46
